Classic Vanilla Wedding Cake with Buttercream

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Vanilla: Extract Medium

Classic Vanilla Wedding Cake with Buttercream

A tall, tender white vanilla cake in three layers filled and covered with smooth vanilla buttercream, the style traditionally served at weddings. This is a single 8-inch cake that serves a small gathering, built to scale up. Makes 16 slices in about 3 hr 17 min.

Prep 45 min

Cook 32 min

Cooling 2 hr

Total 3 hr 17 min

Yield 16 slices

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

3 cups (360 g)all-purpose flour
1 tbsp (12 g)baking powder
¾ tsp (4 g)salt, for the cake
1 cup (225 g)unsalted butter, softened, for the cake
1 ½ cups (300 g)granulated sugar
5 (165 g)egg whites, room temperature
1 tbsp (15 ml)vanilla extract, for the cake
1 ¼ cups (300 ml)whole milk, room temperature
1 ½ cups (340 g)unsalted butter, softened, for the buttercream
5 cups (600 g)powdered sugar, sifted
¼ cup (60 ml)heavy cream
2 tsp (10 ml)vanilla extract, for the buttercream
1 pinch (1 g)salt, for the buttercream

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease three 8-inch (20 cm) round pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
Whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar 4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Beat in the egg whites one at a time, then the vanilla.
Add the dry mixture in three parts alternating with the milk in two parts, mixing just until smooth.
Divide among the pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops spring back. Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out and cool completely.
Beat the butter for 3 minutes, add the powdered sugar in batches, then the cream, vanilla and salt, and beat 3 minutes until fluffy.
Level the layers, stack with about 1 cup of buttercream between each, crumb-coat thinly and chill 20 minutes, then cover with the remaining buttercream and smooth with a bench scraper.
Chill 30 minutes before cutting for clean slices.

Tips

Use egg whites only for a white crumb.
Cool layers completely before frosting.
Dip the knife in hot water and wipe it between slices.
Good with champagne or sparkling wine.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make classic vanilla wedding cake with buttercream?

Plan on 45 minutes of prep and 32 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hours to chill. The recipe makes 16 slices.

How should I store classic vanilla wedding cake with buttercream?

Keep covered at cool room temperature for 1 day, or refrigerate up to 4 days and bring to room temperature before serving. Layers can be frozen wrapped up to 1 month.

Can I make classic vanilla wedding cake with buttercream ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tbsp vanilla extract, for the cake (15 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Serve it with champagne or sparkling wine.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 16 servings this recipe makes.

544 Calories / serving

22.2g Fat

83.1g Carbs

4.9g Protein

62.0g Sugar

Whole recipe (16 servings): ~8704 cal · 355g fat · 1330g carbs · 78g protein · 992g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.